Abstract:
3D range sensing is one of the important topics in robotics, as it is often
a component in vital autonomous subsystems like collision avoidance, mapping
and semantic perception. The development of affordable, high frame rate and
precise 3D range sensors is thus of considerable interest. Recent advances in
sensing technology have produced several novel sensors that attempt to meet
these requirements. This work is concerned with the development of a method for
accuracy evaluation of the measurements produced by such devices. A method for
comparison of range sensor output to a set of reference distance measurements
is proposed. The approach is then used to compare the behavior of three
integrated range sensing devices, to that of a standard actuated laser range
scanner. Test cases in an uncontrolled indoor environment are performed in
order to evaluate the sensors' performance in a challenging, realistic
application scenario.